Make cash from your clutter

Fed up with a house that’s full of clutter? It’s time to have a clear out and make some cash at the same time.

Tempting as it may be to pack your car full of stuff and drive it straight to the tip, remember that your junk could be another person’s treasure.

Online auction site eBay is a great place to sell pretty much anything, but there are plenty of other sites where you can sell your unwanted music, phones, gadgets and clothes. Here’s our round-up of some of the best.

Make money from old clothes

We’ve all got a few clothing mistakes lurking in our wardrobes, whether it’s the dress you were hoping that you’d fit into one day, or that Christmas jumper that Aunty Mildred so kindly gave you.

Have a sort through things you no longer wear and sort them into three piles; bin, charity and selling.

Be realistic about how much you want for the things you plan to sell – no-one’s likely to pay much for a cheap t-shirt that they could buy new for a few pounds.

You’re likely to make the most money from designer items or high-end high street clothes. The site clothesagency.com charges £3.75 for you to list each item of clothing for 12 months, and there’s no commission to pay when your items sell.

The site vinted.co.uk is also worth a look if you’re selling vintage items. The site charges 15% of the total price of successful sales.

Make money from old music, films and games

Most of us now download or stream our music, films and games, so you might have loads of CDs and DVDs gathering dust.

You can sell these though the site MusicMagpie.co.uk. To find out how much your CDs, DVDs and games are worth, you simply put in the barcode on the back of each box. You’ll need a minimum of £5 worth of stuff to complete an order.

You can then post items using the site’s free courier service, and it will send you the money as soon as items are received.

Make money from old mobile phones

Ever-changing technology can make it seem as though any phone you buy is out of date in just a few months.

Lots of us have old handsets hanging around that it seems wrong to just chuck out, but plenty of websites will pay good money for these, even if they are damaged.

You can get as much as £150 per handset depending on the model, although much older ones will usually only be worth a few pounds.

Sites which will buy your old mobiles include envirofone.com and mazumamobile.com. If you want to find out which site will pay the most for your phone, check out the independent mobile recycling comparison site comparemymobile.com which will show you the best online prices.

To find out how much sites will pay for your items, you need to enter your gadget model or brand and you’ll then be given a quote.

If you accept the quote offered, sites will then usually arrange a free courier or provide free postage and packing. Once they’ve received your item or items, you’ll be paid either by PayPal, bank transfer or cheque.

Always compare quotes from lots of different providers to make sure you get the best possible price for your items.

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